Deborah Nock
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Family history is full of unexpected surprises and amazing strokes of luck, and my RHO(A)DES family was no exception. Research into this line started with my father's memories of his grandmother, Alice Ann Rhodes. Her birth certificate proved her to have been born on 26 February 1865 at Ardsley, (WRY) near Barnsley, the daughter of Charles RHODES and Elizabeth (nee PAC(E)Y), who had a family of thirteen children!. Only four so far have been located: Herbert b.1893, surprisingly in Brighton, Sussex, Alice Ann b. 1865, Lily b.1868, Hoyland (WRY) and Ernest b. 1870 Hoyland (who later settled in Canada). The census of 1871 shows them living at Tithe Fold, Hoyland Nether (WRY) ; Charles was a stoker at a colliery. Charles was born on 21 March 1838 at Hoyland, the son of William RHOADES and Elizabeth (nee SHELDEN, and baptised on 15 April 1838 at St Peter's Church, Hoyland. Research in the Parish registers show him to be one of a large family; John bp. 6 Nov 1825, Joseph bp. 10 Feb 1828, William bp. 25 Sep 1834 (and buried 6 Nov 1834 aged only 11 weeks), James bp. 20 September 1835, Charles b. 1838, Ellen b. 1844, Hannah b. 1847 and Arthur b.1850. William RHOADES married Mary SHELDEN on 20 December 1824 at Wath Upon Dearne; his varied occupations show a willingness to be adaptable, and also a movement around the social scale. Between 1825 and 1838, he was a nailmaker, living in Hoyland Nether, a local centre for the nailmaking industry. On Charles' birth certificate, William was recorded as a steward for the iron works. This was at a time when the recently opened Milton Iron Works in nearby Elsecar (WRY)was expanding, and further research into his occupation there needs to be pursued. The Milton Iron Works proved to be a large source of local employment, prompting migrations of ironworkers from as far away as Staffordshire and the Midlands in the mid- nineteenth century (it was the reason my NOCK ancestors migrated to Elsecar in 1849!) On the 1851 census, William appears to be self-employed as a lime merchant, employing one labourer, in 1861 he was a grocer, but by 1871, he had moved down the social scale to become a labourer for the township. Taking a further step back in time, William's Parents were John RHODES and Maria; he was baptised on 2 May 1802 at Hoyland, followed by his sisters, Hannah on 21 Sep 1806 and Sarah on 24 Dec 1809. It was a real stroke of luck finding John on the 1851 census, living with his son William and family, his age revealed to be 72. He was a widower, and on Parish relief, formerly nailer, and born in Hoyland. This narrowed his date of birth to 1778/79, but no baptism was discovered in Hoyland. At this time, Hoyland was only recently established as a chapelry of Wath (WRY) with a Church at Wentworth(WRY. Widening the search to neighbouring parishes, I discovered the baptism of John at Wentworth in 1779. This proved to be a real stroke of genealogical good fortune, for the vicar of Wentworth at this time had been a diligent follower of Dade's registration *. The entry reads: John RHOADES 1st son of Richard RHOADES, Nailer of Hoyland, 2nd son of William RHODES, Labr of Penistone and Mary his wife and Hannah his wife, 2nd Daur of James Ellis, Labr of Hoyland and Mary his wife, born Dec 5th 1778 Bapt. Jan1 1779. John had two brothers similarly recorded, James b. 24 August, bp. 24 Sep 1780, and Richard b. 6 Sep, bp 27 Oct 1782. The system gives a complete generation further back on both sides, and points to a family tradition amongst the RHOADES in the nailmaking trade. John was buried on 29 Jan 1858 at Hoyland, and his wife Maria pre deceased him, buried on 22 March 1851 at Hoyland, unfortunately just missing the census! Further research in the surrounding parishes revealed Richard RHOADES married Hannah ELLIS on 19th April 1778 at Wath Upon Dearne. He was buried on 29 Mar 1836 at Hoyland, while Hannah was buried 4 Mar 1798. Through knowing William RHOADES' place of abode, I was able to trace his marriage to Mary GIBBING on 2 Feb 1748 at Penistone (WRY) and by searching on the IGI, have formed a tentative tree further back, which needs to be filled out and proved, via the Parish Registers. *WILLIAM DADE, curate of St Helen's and St Olaves's in York, introduced an efficient method of recording births, baptisms and burials. It required to know: Baptisms: Child's name, whether 1st, 2nd or 3rd child in family, Father's full name, profession, place of abode, Mother's name, full details of parents and child's date of birth and baptism. Burials: Name, age, occupation, abode, descent, cause of death, dates of death and burial. The Archbishop of York, William Markham, ordered that Dade's system should be used in the York diocese, but unfortunately, not all parishes obeyed the ruling, otherwise it would have made life much easier for genealogists. I would be pleased to hear from anyone researching the above names.
© Deborah Nock 1997
This page last updated 20th November 1999 |